WEBVTT
JAZMIN: HURRICANE MATTHEW
DAMAGED THOUSANDS OF HOMES HERE
IN CENTRAL FLORIDA AND THAT
MEANS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE
CALLING UPON THEIR INSURANCE
COMPANY FOR HELP
LOCKE BURT JOINS US FROM
SECURITY FIRST INSURANCE GOOD
GOOD MORNING.
YOU'VE BEEN OUT WITH STATE
OFFICIALS TOURING SOME OF THE
HARD-HIT AREAS WHAT KIND OF
DAMAGE HAVE YOU SEEN IN OUR
AREA?
>> YEAH, THE MOST CLAIMS FILED
IN FLORIDA ARE VOLUSIA COUNTY.
WE ENSURE ONE OUT OF EVERY EIGHT
HOMES IN ORLANDO, DAYTONA BEACH,
JACKSONVILLE, IN MELBOURNE.
WE'VE GOT 125,000 CUSTOMERS IN
THIS AREA.
SO WE'RE THE BIGGEST INSURANCE
COMPANY IN THIS AREA.
JAZMIN: WHAT'S SOME OF THE MAJOR
DAMAGES THAT YOU'VE BEEN SEEING
THUS FAR?
>> IT'S PRIMARY TREES FALLING IN
THE YARDS OR TREES FALLING ON
ROOFS, FENCES BLOWING AWAY AND
THERE'S A LOT OF FLOOD DAMAGE
BUT THE HOME OWNERS INSURANCE
POLICY DOES NOT COVER FLOODS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT
AND YOU NEED A SEPARATE POLICY
FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO COVER THE
FOOD INSURANCE AND A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN FLORIDA DON'T BUY
FLOOD INSURANCE AND IT'S REALLY
WATER COVERAGE AND IF YOU HAVE A
HEAVY RAIN, YOUR HOME CAN BE
DAMAGED BY WATER COMING INTO
YOUR HOUSE AND MANY TIMES THAT'S
NOT COVERED BY YOUR HOMEOWNERS
INSURANCE POLICY.
JAZMIN: WE ARE TWO WEEKS OUT
FROM THE HURRICANE.
WHERE DO THEY START?
>> THE BIGGEST QUESTION THAT
PEOPLE HAVE IS ABOUT THE
DEDUCTIBLE.
BECAUSE EVERY HOMEOWNER'S
POLICY, EVERY INSURANCE POLICY
YOU SIGN AS DEDUCTIBLE AND
THAT'S THE AMOUNT THAT YOU HAVE
TO PAY BEFORE THE INSURANCE
COMPANY STARTS TO PAY YOUR LOSS.
JAZMIN: RIGHT.
>> AND MOST POLICIES HAVE ONE
DEDUCTIBLE.
AND YOU HAVE TO PAY YOUR
DEDUCTIBLE EVERY TIME YOU REPORT
A CLAIM.
A HOMEOWNERS POLICY IS
DIFFERENT.
WE HAVE ONE DEDUCTIBLE IF YOU
HAVE A FIRE OR YOUR HOME IS
DAMAGED BY A TORNADO.
BUT THEN THERE'S A SPECIAL
DEDUCTIBLE FOR HURRICANE
AND THE DEDUCTIBLE FOR
HURRICANES IS AN ANNUAL
DEDUCTIBLE.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY IT
EVERY TIME YOU REPORT A CLAIM.
AND MOST PEOPLE ARE NERVOUS
ABOUT REPORTING A SMALL CLAIM
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES, IT WILL
RAISE YOUR RATES OR RESULT IN A
CHANGE IN YOUR COVERAGE.
THAT'S NOT TRUE WITH THE
HOMEOWNER'S POLICY BECAUSE A
HURRICANE IS AN ACT OF GOD.
SO REPORTING A SMALL CLAIM WILL
NOT INCREASE YOUR RATES AND IT
WILL NOT RESULT IN YOUR POLICY
BEING CANCELED.
JAZMIN: YEAH.
>> AND THE REASONS FOR DOING IT
IS FIRST OF ALL, WE WILL SEND A
PROFESSIONAL LOSS ADJUSTER TO
YOUR HOUSE AND THEY WILL LOOK AT
DAMAGE AND A LOT OF TIMES,
THEY'LL FIND DAMAGE THAT YOU
DIDN'T NOPE YOU HAD AND IT WILL
COST MORE TO FIX IT.
AND THAT HAPPENED TO A FRIEND OF
MINE.
THE SECOND THING THAT HAPPENS IS
IT WILL DOCUMENT THE AMOUNT OF
THE DEDUBBLING THAT YOU PAY
IF THE NEXT STORM HIT THIS
SEASON, YOU WON'T HAVE TO PAY
YOUR DEDUCTIBLE TWICE.
JAZMIN: OK.
>> SO PEOPLE REALLY -- IT'S
COUNTERINTERVIEW BUT PEOPLE
SHOULD REPORT EVEN SMALL CLAIMS
SO WE CAN DETERMINE WHAT

Insuance expert talks about filing claims post-Hurricane Matthew

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Updated: 12:54 PM EDT Oct 21, 2016

ORLANDO, Fla. —

Hurricane Matthew caused damage to thousands of homes in Central Florida, and that means thousands of people are calling on their insurance companies for help. Locke Burt from Security First Insurance joined us to talk about,.